Wilson happy wind turbine project near airport rejected

The Environmental Review Tribunal ruled against the proposal on August 16 and the period to appeal that decision passed on September 15.

“The whole idea was absurd from the start. You don’t build massive wind turbines near airports,” said Wilson. “I want to congratulate local residents and communities for their hard work in appealing this project. I want to thank everybody who signed the petition and participated in the appeal before the Tribunal.”

The tribunal’s decision upheld a previous ruling that the Fairview Wind project proposed by WPD Canada posed risk to human health due to its proximity to the two airports.

“The tribunal’s decision is a victory for local residents and the local community,” said Wilson. “This is another example of the Liberal government’s mismanagement of the hydro system. They tried to force our community to accept industrial wind turbines where they didn’t belong. This is proof municipal planning approval authority for these projects must be restored.”

Wilson, who spent several years opposing the project and introduced a private members bill in the Legislature to stop the proposal, was pleased the tribunal recognized the potential danger to human health from the project.

“Local residents knew from the beginning the location of this project was inappropriate,” Wilson said.